Convertible trunk



(No Model.)

J. DWYBR.

CONVERTIBLE TRUNK.

No. 471,768. 'Patented Mar. 29, 1892.

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UNITED STATES "PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN DWYER, OF TEXARKANA, TEXAS.

CONVERTIBLE TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 471,768, dated March 29, 1892. Application iiled December 9, 1891. Serial No. 414,484. (No model.)

.To all whom it may concern,.-

Be it known that I, JOHN DWYER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Texarkana, in the county of Bowie and State of Texas, have invented a new and useful Convertible Trunk, of which the following'is a specification.

This invent-ion relates to baggage, and more especially to trunks which are convertible from a trunk adapted to contain clothing as in transportation to a trunk adapted for use like a bureau as when the owner is not traveling; and the object of the same is to produce certain improvements in devices of this character. l

To this end the invention consists in a false front, a peculiar lock therefor of the haspand-staple nature, and certain details of c011- struction, all as hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed, and as illustrated on the accompanying sheet of drawings, wherein Figure l is a general perspective view of this trunk arranged as a bureau and with the false front removed. Fig. 2 is a front elevation with the front closed, but the cover raised. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2 with the trunk completely closed.

Referring to the said drawings, the letter B designates the body of the trunk, having handles I-I at its ends and having a hinged cover C connected withpthe back of the body and adapted to be secured in the front thereof by a lock L of any approved pattern, the cover being surrounded by depending flanges M, preferably of metal, which close the cracks between the upper edges of the body and the lower edges of the cover when the latter is lowered.

T is the ordinary till or a till of any suitable construction, and it fits into the .top of the body and rests on upper cleats U, as usual. Below this till l arrange in the body-whose front is here open-a number of drawers, as D, or a horizontal partition P, a vertical partition V, and hinged doors D for closing the compartments formed by the partitions. These drawers or doors have ring-shaped handles R mounted in eyes I, so that they will occupy very little space when not in use'.

The letter F designates a false front, which, when in place, closes over the fronts of the drawers or doors above described, prevents the trunk by standing under the top horizontal strip S thereof which carries the lock, and is secured in place by the fastening means describedbelow.

Secured to each end of the trunk is ahingeshaped hasp, one' member l of which has screws or rivets 2 passing therethrough into the trunk and the other member 3 of which has slots 4 adapted to take over staples 5 their being withdrawn, completes the body of I near the ends of said strip S and'over other staples 6 on the front of the false front F. The latter has hooks 7 at its lower edge,which engage eyes 3, carried by the 'bottom of the trunk, as seen.

9 are rods, preferably having turned-over upper ends l0, the body of each rod being of a size to pass through the several staples 5 and 6 and its turned-over upper end 10 standing in a notch ll in the upper edge of the strip S. The false front also has a ringshaped handle R', and thecorners and sides of the trunk are suitably braced by metallic straps and otherwise, asis-usual in devices of this character. When the partitions P and V are used, triangular metallic cleats Q are preferably employed, as shown, to hold them in proper position.

Other details of construction will suggest themselvesl and may be adopted without departing from the spirit of this invention.

The trunk being open, as seen in Fig. 1, when it is desired to close the same the drawers D and doors D are closed, the hooks 7 of the false front F are inserted in the eyes 8,-

and the front raised to vertical position,when it will pass under the strip S, as seen. The hinged members 3 of the hasps are then swung in until their slots pass over the staples and the two rods are inserted through the latter with their hooked upper ends standing in the notches 1l. The till T is then put in place and the cover C brought down and secured IOO strip, a cover hingedI to the back, a lock on said strip, and a till resting on said ele-ats, of a false front detachably closing the opening in the front, locks for the front controlled by the cover when the latter is closed, and drawers and doors in the trunk-body beneath the till, opening back of said false fronts ub.stan

tially as described.

2. In a convertible trunk, the combination, I with a trunk-body Whose front 'is open,l except I a strip at the top,acover hinged to the back,

a lock on the strip engaging the cover when n Y closed, and a false front removably standing back, a 4lock on the strip engaging the cover Wiles dosed, ,and a 'false front removably standing beneath said istrip, of eyes secured to the bottom of `the trunl; and proj eoting vbeyond the front, staples carried by the face lof the front and of said strip and in vertical ,alignment with the eyes, and upright rods liasnsfthrough the .eyes and Staples and llavitng bent upper ends passinglover the strip,

substantially Ias described.

et. In .a convertible trunk, the combination,

with the trunk-body, a cover, means for locking the same When closed, and a false front having a series of staples, of hinge-shaped hasps, one member of each being secured to the end of the trunk and the other having slots engaging the staples at that end of the trunk, anda rod passing through said staples and having a turned-over upper end standing beneath the front edge of the cover When the latter is closed. y

5. In a convertible trunk, the combination, with the trunk-body Whose front is open, eX- cept a strip at the top, a cover hinged to the back, a Ylock on the strip engaging the cover when closed, eyes projecting from the bottom of the trunk, and a false front having hooks detachably engaging said eyes and v.adapted to be seated beneath said strip, of ystaples arranged in vertical alignment on thefaces of the front and the strip, hinge-shaped hasps i having one ot'- their members `secured to the end ot' the trunk and the other member provided With slots engaging said staples, and rods passing through said staples and having hooked upper ends removably seated in notches in the upper edge of said strip, substantially as hereinbefore described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixed my signature in the presence of two Witnesses.

JOHN DWYER.

Witnesses: E. N. BULL, M. D. TILsoN. 

